a world of café stories

Quartier Putain, Amsterdam

By KENNY MAH and CK LIM

Perhaps no other coffee shop has a better views than Quartier Putain. Located on Oudekerksplein right in the middle of Red Light District, the café overlooks the 800-year-old parish church Oude Kerk and is within calling distance of the infamous prostitutes in windows.

In fact, that’s how Quartier Putain got its name, which means “prostitute quarter” in French. Sandwiched between the city’s oldest building and lure of the world’s oldest profession, this coffee shop has to work especially hard to draw in both the devout and the deviant.

Founded by Erik de Kok, whose father was the former owner of Coffee Company, Quartier Putain doubles as both coffee shop on the ground floor and performance space on the first floor. The former provides Amsterdammers with espressos and brewed coffee while the latter hosts events for musicians, artists, film makers and writers.

So come here for a ristretto pulled by baristas from their La Marzocco Strada and then attend a book reading or record release by Top Notch, a local music label and publisher. It’s the best of both worlds.